Aetna at risk of losing a fortune

The Kansas health department says insurance company Aetna is at risk of losing its $1-billion-a-year contract with the state’s Medicaid program.

The Kansas City Star reports the agency gave Aetna 10 days to get its act together. The Kansas City Star request for comment to Aetna was not immediately returned.

The insurance company joined Kansas’ privatized Medicaid program this year. But the newspaper reports that medical providers have complained about Aetna for months.The Kansas Department of Health and Environment sent Aetna a non-compliance letter July 24. The letter cites concerns including claims issues, vague service plans for Medicaid recipients, and delays in credentialing medical providers for billing.

Medicaid provides health care coverage for about 400,000 people in Kansas. Most are children, the elderly, people with disabilities and pregnant women.